semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

1

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

2

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Each participant is involved for at least two semesters, ensuring continuity and depth of learning. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025

By their second semester, Strickland says, Trussell started to make more friends and started dating someone. —Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025

Zimmerman cites a survey finding that, in one semester, half of the respondents from a wide range of institutions hadn’t taken a single course that required writing more than twenty pages, total. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2025

Troutt recalls, now 23 and in her last semester at the University of Southern California. —Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Rhymes for semester

• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester
• esther
• fester

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year